Lifetouch Inc.

Richard Lee Swanson

Michael J Surma

Earl John Adolphi

John Robert Reinert Nash

Brent Peterson

Keith Alan Benson

Thomas Mark Ellis

Charmaine O Light

Michael John Surma

An image processing system includes an image analysis module and an error detection module. The image analysis module is configured to analyze a digital image and to locate a plurality of head points of a subject in the digital image. The image analysis module is configured to detect a high hair condition of a subject, and to compute an adjusted top of head point if a high hair condition is present. The error detection module is configured to evaluate the head points identified by the image analysis module by performing a geometry test to evaluate a geometry of the head points.

Evaluating digital images using head points

A photography station operates to capture digital images of a subject with at least one digital camera. The photography station includes foreground lighting and background lighting. The foreground lighting is configured to illuminate the subject, while the background lighting is configured to illuminate a background. The photography station includes a computing device having a setup module operable to perform tests to check a configuration of the photography station, and a photography module operable to capture digital images of the subject with the digital camera. In some embodiments, the tests performed by the setup module include a plurality of initial checking operations and a plurality of background processing operations.

Photography station

A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image.

Method and apparatus for background replacement in still photographs

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Hopkins, MN, United States of America

Richard Lee Swanson